P-A-S-S-I-O-N and Confidence And Publication Part 3 of 11
I need passion and confidence, and a bit of book knowledge, of course I have so many places I go for book knowledge, Alissa is a a great source, I don’t know how she can possibly read so many wonderful book, I am a rank amateur beside her… I must ask Alissa how do you do it?
You’ve got a wonderful talent and I can’t see where you get it all! Of course everyone has to go and see her blog, so go ahead I’ll wait, I trust you’ll be back. Welcome back, feeling passionate about book knowledge? This is all a part of publishing your book, and making money writing.
Good, when writing, and planning to edit or publish or simply wanting to get new ideas, one needs to pick up a book, I’m sure the Internet can work for any of us, but everyone has their own series of book they use to both add to their knowledge and passion for writing.
I’ll list mine: Writer’s Market, although it’s been a few years since I bought the deluxe edition (2007 to be exact) I use it to find some reputable freelance jobs, and where I could send my query letters, Elements of Style, no good writer is without, enough said. Since I write fantasy and science fiction, I have Terry Brooks and Orson Scott Card’s book on my list. Dictionary and Thesaurus are a must. There are more but these are my important ones.
To build up my passion I also use all my senses. I play Motown when I’m writing fiction, to keep a good pace on my writing.You can;t write slow to some of those songs. My non-fiction gets jazz and blues, as more often than not I think better with it. My own personal favorite are John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, and the Jelly Martin Swing band. I have some sort of window open (weather permitting… it’s Canada after all!) to hear what’s going on in my backyard, and to get a scent of the flowers in the summer. Good lighting to read and writing. The sounds of music and people talking are a bonus, but mostly the music. Still I like a good cup of earl grey tea beside me with a touch of honey in it, and a cookie or two or a few… okay so it’s not like I’m packing on the pounds here! still in the evenings a nice blanket around me to keep me warm if I’m outside. A good book waiting in the wings.
The most wonderful thing about adding senses to your writing it that it makes it real. To me it lends a passion to the writing. It’s true even when you are the writer. The readers will thank you for it. I suspect that publishers will as well. I doubt many of the books we love would have been edited and published or even completed and become classics without the passion the writer put into it. Purple prose not withstanding.
There are other thing that increase a confident passion others. Try writing everyday or just writing in a journal. Your confidence will soar. I have a small “spill” notebook that I begin writing in each day for about 5 or ten minutes just whatever. It isn’t read again, unless I need a sort a fragment of an idea, sometimes we find some great gems in the thorns. I believe that little ideas written down as soon as you get the idea will last and come in handy for a future article or book.
It keeps my passion flowing, and of course most of the time gives me the focus and confidence I need to improve my writing and gives publishers and editors the opportunity to read the best I have to offer.
4 Comments
brittany michelle
i have to say that my favorite writing moments are with dialogue, because that's when i realize just how "real" my characters are. you can't just make them say what you want them to say. you have to get the feeling right. so in a way i use a sense, a sense of character.
and my favorite pieces of writing i've done have been concise but rich with scenic detail, keeping the writing as simple as possible while providing an interesting way of looking at the world.
Rebecca
Brittany, as always a great comment, if you have the chance to take a look you should go and see her blog. She does make a good point about characters. What do you all think…
My answer tomorrow.
JS
Three questions…hmmmm…makes me think before I answer. Okay, I am done with thinking. So here are the answers:
1. The aroma of a fresh idea drvies me to write. It has to have the topping of intellect on it or something that touches my heart and pushes me hard to strat striking the computer keys.
2. Watching TV, mostly sports and Discovery bouquet. Besides, there is always my little one, brimming with energy…a source of inspiration for me.
3. Getting published is still a dream, waiting for it to realize. That is enough passion in itself to drive me towards a publishing goal.
PrettySiren
I would definitely say I at least TRY to use all five senses. When I write, I get into my characters much like an actor does (if you're familiar with Aidan Turner's interviews, that might give you an idea what I'm talking about). So, I feel what they feel to an extent. I draw from the world around me and really get into it.
I get into the characters psyche and I narrate according to how they would perceive the world around them. And yes, I definitely include all five senses. (Though, for my main character in my novel series, it would be six senses.)
When I'm not writing, being around those I love gives me the most fulfillment, and I truly believe that enriches my writing. I think life really does imitate art.
I love my friends as well. They're mystical, yet down-to-earth; sane, yet slightly manic; wise, yet naive; strange, yet beautiful, and very inspiring. I live around an amazing cast of characters and I think I'm really lucky in that sense.
Hobby-wise, I adore singing, music in general, art, fashion history, history in general, real-time strategy games (I've finally got some footing in Imperivm Romanvm), television (particularly British supernatural and crime dramas), and the list could really go on.
My passion for writing is that it's a self-expression thing. It's my favorite form of art; I love story-telling. To me, it's even more fun than acting, because it's ME creating the story.
And I would love to publish my book for a couple of reasons: I want to share my world with others, I want to inspire people (and make them think, and I want to become financially independent doing the work I love most. (And I'm finally getting there, which is truly awesome.)
And of course,I have to thank you, Rebecca, and my other writing buds. You guys are great support!